I am looking at a start up business proposal that is planning to spend £4,300 on "Web site, aerial photography".
How much is for which, they do not say, nor is it clear for why they need aerial photography...

It seems like a lot to me, though I wouldn't claim to know over much about either field. I reckoned someone here would know better.

If you're interested in the project, their launch document is here.
It looks to me to be a very worthwhile project, but they're not yet doing anything to give me any confidence.

The aerial photography might involve someone buying themselves a drone to play with!

That is certainly how I would propose to do it. I would expect to get a half decent drone for a few hundred quid and unless the project folds before accomplishing anything, it seems likely to have ongoing usefulness.

Is aerial photography to cover monitoring over the course of the project? Might be worth raising the query with them. It sounds like a lot if it is for a one-off drone exploration of the current state of the site.

Looking at HL's link it all looks and sounds very professional - I doubt they would spoil it with some DIY drone snaps.
A quick google of aerial photography prices reveals "wedding package from £300" "3D aerial mapping and 3D modelling services from £995"

Do you think?
My reading of it was that the plan is to raise a load of cash to pay a professional planner to help them get a grant to fix up the building and then everything will be dandy.
All seems to me to be built on blind faith and optimism.

Clearly professional planning is needed, but to my mind the way forward with any project is to take it as far as you can yourself, and have the professional address the necessary details.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008Posts: 14981Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Do you think?
My reading of it was that the plan is to raise a load of cash to pay a professional planner to help them get a grant to fix up the building and then everything will be dandy.
All seems to me to be built on blind faith and optimism.

Ah, the Brexit model

Another quick search shows a £100 drone is a toy. £500-£1000 might get you something half decent. £5000-£10000 for professional kit.
It's one thing, say, buying some basic gardening kit for volunteers to clear some ground, it's another to spend a few hundred on a drone which may crash and burn, or break down and be unrepairable.
If you want amateur pics then you could just ask around, find someone with a toy drone.
I guess professional pics are required to sell the project to the big investors.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008Posts: 14981Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Sounds about right. I'm hoping that someone will come along and point out what I've missed, but no joy on that so far...

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Another quick search shows a £100 drone is a toy. £500-£1000 might get you something half decent. £5000-£10000 for professional kit.

Could I trouble you for links to what you've found?

Quote:

It's one thing, say, buying some basic gardening kit for volunteers to clear some ground, it's another to spend a few hundred on a drone which may crash and burn...

I'm slightly confused by your comparison there; did you change tack halfway through the point? I'm prone to that, but since you've brought it up, that is the other thing that bothers me about this proposal: very limited scope for volunteers to engage. If they get the funding it will have to go to a big firm to do the work.
I'd start off with ground works which anybody can get involved with, and from that you can pick out and train teams to tackle (or at least help with) the more difficult work.

Quote:

If you want amateur pics then you could just ask around, find someone with a toy drone.
I guess professional pics are required to sell the project to the big investors.

It is not yet clear for why the aerial photography is wanted. Perhaps I am too cynical, but the flashier the presentation, the more I look at what they are hiding...
And if I was an investor, I'd be looking at cost effective use of resources: over 10% of the budget on presentation before there is anything to present doesn't seem good to me...

If you want amateur pics then you could just ask around, find someone with a toy drone.
I guess professional pics are required to sell the project to the big investors.

It is not yet clear for why the aerial photography is wanted. Perhaps I am too cynical, but the flashier the presentation, the more I look at what they are hiding...
And if I was an investor, I'd be looking at cost effective use of resources: over 10% of the budget on presentation before there is anything to present doesn't seem good to me...

The flip side to that is if they are able to attract a very large donation/investment than the aerial photography will end up having been a drop in the plan in the long term. (Edit: just realized I combined pan and plan. Keeping it )

So it's 10% of this budget, but what's the long term plan and budget?

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008Posts: 14981Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

HL. IIRC I searched 'which drone' and it was a 2017 Telegraph piece I based my generalisation on. I may have over-egged the professional kit but OTOH when you add in cameras and accessories that's probably a fair figure for the total kit being used.

Re; my change of tack.....
I'm just imagining the meeting where they go through the expenses....

"we spent £300 on shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and gloves. And £250 on a skip"
"That's fine. What's this £600 for a drone ?"
"to take pictures"
"And this next £600 for a drone ?"
"Oh, the first one crashed and burnt"
"Hold on there's 3 lots of £600"
"Yes the second one developed an electrical problem"
"and you couldn't fix it ?"
"No.....made in China, can't get parts"
"let's see the pictures then...."
"Er well they're a bit blurry - we need a bit more practice"
"FFS why didn't you get someone in ?"